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(NO Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1..

J. L BROWN. RAILWAY GAR BRAKE.

.No. 357,455. Patented Feb. 8, 1887,

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(No Model.) 2 Shets-Sheet 2.

J. L. BROWN. R'AILWAY GAR BR KE. No; 357,455 I Patented Feb. 8, 1887.

N, PETERS. PhOlO-Lnnngrlph r. Wnhinglnm D. C.

among the best braking mechanisms of its class JACOB LORENZO BROWN, 0

F RAHVVAY, NEW JERSEY.

RAILWAY-CAR BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters P To aZZwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAooB LORENZO BROWN, of Bahway, in the State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanismfor Railway-Brakes; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact'description of the invention, which will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form part of thisspecification. I

This invention relates to that class of carbrakes commonly known ascontinuous or train brakes, in which the braking-power is conveyed fromcar to car throughout the train and operated from some point (generallythe engine) in its length. In this invention the braking-power isderived from the rota tion of the car-axles and applied to one or moreof the cars, so that by manipulating the apparatus from any desiredpoint the brakes may be applied or released throughout the train.

Heretofore the apparatus used for producing the results reached by thisinvention have been so complicated and difficult to operate that it hasprevented their general introduction upon the rolling-stock of railways.

The object of my invention is, therefore, to simplify and reduce thecost of the apparatus, while still retaining its efficiency to such anextent as to make it not only the cheapest, but

offered to railway-managers; and the invention consists in the meansemployed for converting the power gained from the rotation of the axlesinto direct pressure upon the perepheries of the wheels of all thebrake-shoes; also, in the means used for conveying the power required toput the braking mechanism in operation on one car to all the other carsof the train; and, further, in certain details of construction, whichwill be hereinafter fully described. V

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a bottom plan showing thegeneral arrangement of the braking apparatus and its means of connectionwith similar devices upon the adjoining car of the train. Fig. 2 is avertical and longitudinal section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, il-

at ent No. 357,455. dated February 8, 1887.

Application filed June 1, 1886. Serial No. 203.804. (No model.)

lustrating upon an enlarged scale the power mechanism applied to theaxle and the de vices for operating it. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation, inperspective, of one of the car-axles and the gearing by which the brakesare applied. Fig. 4. is a transverse section showing the truck -beam,the axle, the brake operating gear, and the operating-lever.

In these several figures, A denotes the carfloor, under each end ofwhich is placed a truck, B. These trucks may be of the ordinaryconstruction, as the brake operating mechanism is readily attached tothem without material change, thus making it applicable to the cars nowin general use without material change in their construction.

In describing the brake-operating mechanism it will be understood asapplied to one truck of a car, although it is evident that, if desired,it may be attached to both trucks of every car in the train; butexperience shows that this will be unnecessary, except in special caseswhere trains are worked on heavy grades.

0 represents the truck beam, and D the axles, on one of which is placedthe pinion E, by which the braking-power is transmitted to thebrake-shoes. axle, and is provided with projecting lugs a, which may bemade to engage with the projecting arms of a cross-bar, a, firmlysecured to the axle, so that when the lugs a engage with said arms thepinion revolves with the axle. Upon the opposite side of the pinion fromthe lugs is formed a collar, to, having a grooved periphery, whichreceives a clutch or the forked end of an operating-lever, F, actuatedby means to be hereinafter described.

Secured to the truck-beam by suitable bolts is a bracket, Gr, providedwith j ournalbearings, in which revolves the winding shaft or drum H,upon which is secured the fixed coller b, and against this collar isplaced the gear-wheel I, upon the opposite side of which from the collarb is placed a loose collar, 1), held in contact with the gear-wheel bythe spring I), coiled around the shaft H,and having its tension upon theloose collar regulated by a nut or other suitable device upon the end ofsaid shaft. It will thus be seen that when the pinion E is in gear withthe wheel I the latter will be rotated by said pinion; but thewinding-shaft will not This pinion E slides on the be rotated if theresistance is greater than the friction of the collars b and b upon thegearwheel. By this arrangement the power applied to the brake-shoes maybe so adjusted as to prevent skidding the wheels and injuring them bythe formation of flat spots upon their heads.

Attached to the winding-shaft H is the chain K, which passes around asheave, c, in the outer end of equalizing-lever L, pivoted at a suitablepoint between the two trucks to the car-bottom A. This chain is thencarried back to the end of the ear, where, if the car he the first orlast in the train, it may be secured, so as to form a fulcrum-pointforthe action ofthe brakes; but if the car occupy an intermediate positionin the train it is connected bya suitable coupling with the brakemechanism ofthe adjoining car or cars. I

To each truck-beam is secured a bar, M, at the opposite end of which arepivoted the brake-levers d d, one of which, 41, carries at its free enda sheave, d. The brake-chain N is attached at its opposite ends to thefree ends of levers d, passing around the sheaves d" and around thesheaves c and c in the equalizinglever L. It will, therefore, beapparent that any movementimparted to the equalizing-lever L by thechain K will be transferred through the brake-chain Nto thebrake-levers, and by them, through suitable connections, to thebrake-beams 0, by which the brake-shoes are applied to the wheels.

In order to set the hereinbefore-described mechanism in operation and toautomatically throw them out of connection and retain them in thatcondition when the brake is no longer required, the devices hereinafterdescribed are employed.

To the upper end of the forked lever F is attached one end of a spring,6, the other end of which may be secured to the ear-bottom or othersuitable point ofattachment. The tendency of this spring is to holdtheleverin such a position as to keep the pinion E out of gear with thewheel I, thus preventing the brakeshoes from being brought into contactwith the wheels until the position of the lever F and pinion is changedor shifted, so as to bring the pinion into gear with the wheel. Toaccomplish this result, a chain, P, is attached to the upper end of thelever F, passes thence around the sheave 0, attached to the car-bottomand to one end of the car, where it may be connected with awinding-shaft or other suitable operating device, or with acorresponding chain carried by the next adjoining car. It will beapparent that power applied to this chain P will cause the lever F tothrow the pinion on the axle into engagement with the wheel upon thewinding-shaft, and-that the rotation of the latter will, through thechain K and its connections, apply the brakes, which will be retained incontact with the wheels until the tension upon chain P is relaxed, whenthe spring 6 will instantly reverse the position of lever F, throwingthe pinion out of engagement with the gear-wheel upon the windingshaftand releasing the brakes.

As it is desirable to provide means for controlling the operation of thebrakes from either end of the same car or from any car in the train thefollowing devices are employed for that purpose. A lever, It, is pivotedto the bottom of the car, as shown in Fig. 1, to one end of which leveris attached the chain or rod P, which rod extends to the opposite end ofthe car from that reached by the rod or chain I, said connection P beingprovided withthe same means for operating it from the end of the car orattaching to the adjacent car as the connection I By these means it willbe obvious that the action of the braking mechanism may be controlledfrom either end of a car or from any car provided with this apparatus ina train.

As it is sometimes desirable to connect the brake-power of one car tothe brake apparatus of the next car in the same train, which may or maynot be provided with the mechanism hereinbefore described for takingbrakingpower from the axle, I pivot to the bottom of the car a lever, S,one end of which is connected with the chain K and its opposite end witha chain, K, which extends to the opposite end of the car from thatreached by the chain K, and like that may be connected to the brakingapparatus of an adjoining car, thus conveying the brake-power generatedupon one car to its neighbor either in front or rear.

I am aware that many plans have been suggested for accomplishing theobject sought in this invention. I do not therefore claim, broadly,acontinuous or train brake, but only the special mechanism by which Iaccomplish the end sought.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, the following:

1. In a mechanism for operating canbrakes, the combination of a slidingpinion upon a car-axle with a frictionally-held gear-wheel mounted upona winding-shaft, a chain winding upon said shaft, and suitable mechanismfor connecting said chain with the car-brakes, as set forth.

2. The combination, in mechanism. for operating car-brakes, of thesliding pinion upon the axle, the friction-held gear upon thewindingshaft, the lever by which such pinion is operated, the springacting upon said lever to hold the pinion normally out of engagementwith the winding-shaft gear, and the chains and the appliances by whichthe position of the pinion is shifted to apply the brakes, substantiallyas specified.

3. In a car-brake, the bracket G, secured to the truck-beam,winding-shaft H, revolving in journal-bearings in said bracket, fixedcollar 1), loose collar I), and adjusting-spring b", in combination withthe loose gear-wheel I, and sliding pinion E, arranged to wind up thepower -applying chain K in applying the brakes, as specified.

IIO

4. In a continuous or train brake mechanbrake-operating devices of anadjoining car, 10 ism, the combination of the power devices with in themanner set forth. the equalizing-lever L. lever S, chains K and Intestimony that I claim the foregoing as K, and brake-chain N, allarranged and opmy own I affix my signaturein presence of two 5 eratingsubstantially as specified. witnesses.

5. In a continuous or train brake, the com- JACOB LORENZO BROWN.bination, with the power mechanism, of the le- Vitnesses: ver F, spring6, chains P and P, and lever B, JAMES H. DURAND, said chains beingarranged to connect with the 1 JAMES E. TIER.

